Health & Wellness

Reach For The Blues For Healthy Aging

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables contain health-promoting Phytochemicals, which are being studied for their anti-aging benefits. It's believed that eating produce that is blue or purple in color can help maintain urinary tract health, lower the risk of some cancers and help with memory function.

Blackberry

These deeply hued, juicy berries grow wild across much of North America. Cultivated varieties, which are actually raspberry/blackberry hybrids include boysenberries, loganberries, and ollalieberries. Like most varieties of berries, blackberries are a rich source of antioxidants. Try these delicious sweet berries on ice cream or yogurt, or for a real breakfast treat, serve them in a crepe filled with lightly sweetened ricotta cheese, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

In Season: Summer

Recipes

Blueberry

Blueberries can help reduce the risk of urinary tract infection, and their high antioxidant level helps reduce the buildup of bad cholesterol.

Blueberries literally burst with flavor and nutrition. These sweet little berries provide an abundant supply of free-radical fighting antioxidants which offer innumerable health benefits. These berries are delicious added to just about anything. Try them mixed in yogurt, sprinkled on ice cream or your morning cereal, or even added to a salad of fresh spring greens.

Eggplant

Trivia

Originally an Oriental ornamental plant, eggplant got its name from yellow and white fruited varieties with egg-sized fruits.

In India and Medieval Europe, eggplant was credited with remarkable properties as a love potion. By the 16th Century, northern Europeans were calling eggplants, "mad apples" in the belief that consumption would cause insanity.

Eggplant were brought to America by Spaniards as "berengenas," meaning apples of love.

Ladies in the high society of China once made black dye from dark eggplant skins and used it to stain their teeth to a black lustre, a fashionable cosmetic use.

Try this beautiful purple vegetable marinated and grilled on spring greens with your favorite vinaigrette, or with basil, provolone, and roasted red peppers on crispy Italian bread. Choose a firm, smooth-skinned eggplant that is heavy for its size; avoid those with soft or brown spots.

Plum

Trivia

Although plums are native to Asia, Europe and America, most U. S. production is in the Japanese varieties which are red and yellow (European varieties are blue and purple).

The difference between plums and prunes is small. Plums are clingstone (the pit does not separate easily from the flesh) and prunes are freestone. While there are at least 125 prune varieties, most (except for Italian prunes) are grown for drying.

There are about 30 different varieties that will be available at the supermarket at different times during the summer. Ranging in color from black to pale yellow, and from sweet to tart in flavor, you'll only find each of these special varieties for a short period of time, so when you see a new one, be sure to take the opportunity to try it.

Purple Grape

Purple Potato

Purple potatoes contain the antioxidant glutathione and all of the nutrients of other potatoes. And did you know that one serving provides 45% RDI of Vitamin C, 21% RDI of Potassium and 3 grams of fiber?

In Season

The end of the year is a festive time, with plenty of festive food. But come January 1, there is widespread resolve to live healthier lives, and make healthier choices about what, and how much we are eating. There is no need to sacrifice enjoyment of your food simply because you are shifting to a healthier menu. Work with winter's refreshing variety of fresh produce and add some new spices for flavor sensations that are sure to keep things interesting.